Rail fastener and tie plate



Z z y w fl w .m l 3 E. 4 W M m w i m c. P. KIMMEL RAIL FASTENER AND TIE PLATE F iled March 1, 1959 Sept. 17, 1940.

Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a combined tie plate and rail fastener having novel features and improvements over the construction illustrated in my Patent No. 1,580,258 of April 13, 1926. This application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 203,003, filed April 20, 1938.

It is the conventional practice in railroad construction to install a tie plate between the rail and tie to protect the tie from premature wear and destruction and to give a more positive support to the rail.

My new design of tie plate and rail fastenings may be termed a universal tie plate, in that it will serve for any practical width of rail base within the range of standard rails as used by Class A railroads, having a variation in flange width of approximately of an inch; that is, from 5 to 6% inches. It also provides a means for shimming up under the rail and for adjusting the track gauge without disturbing the tie plate from its permanent position.

The tie plate is designed to be spiked permanently to the tie with the ordinary cut spike, or with screw spikes and having means through which special fastenings can be applied to clamp the rail to the tie plate. These fastenings, as an assembly, are made up of a number of pieces which when assembled in place, are interlocked as a unit.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for placing shims between the rail base and the tie plate when track maintenance requires, without disturbing the tie plate as a permanent fixture on the tie.

In certain localities and during the winter months, there occur serious difficulties with railway track maintenance, generally during alternate freezing and thawing weather conditions. At certain points in the track structure, particularly where the rails are joined together by joint bars, a washing of the roadbed occurs, caused by the oscillation of the ties downward and upward when a train is moved along the track. This creates a difficult maintenance problem generally called pumping of the ties; the spikes holding the rail in position becoming drawn from their normal position, allowing the tie to settle below its normal position and frequently freeze in this low position, consequently not acting as a support for the rail. Under the above conditions there is a clearance of varying degree between the rail base and the tie plate or between the tie plate and the tie. To remedy this condition shims must be placed beneath the rail base; this is more or less diificult to accomplish in combination with the conventional tie plate.

A similar difiiculty arises at bridge heads, due to variations in the track elevation between the bridge and the adjacent track ends.

One of the inportant objects of the invention is to provide a construction in which the tie plate and rail fastening elements may all be formed of rolled members, this being a most economical form of construction.

The invention} will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rail, tie plate and rail fastening assembly constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing an adaptation in which a plurality of shims have been placed beneath the rail, and;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the irregular line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I have illustrated a conventional rail having a base It! resting on a wedge shaped tie plate H. Means such as the screw spikes l2 are employed for permanently securing the plate to a tie. It is of advantage to be able to permanently secure the plates to the tie, since there is considerable labor involved in removing the spikes when shimming or gauge adjustment is necessary, and, furthermore, the refastening by the use of the same spike holes is never as secure as the original fastening.

The tie plate is provided with punched openings I3 at each side, resulting in abrupt shoulders I4 that constitute the means for engagement by the rail fastening device. The recesses l3 are constructed to receive a yoke l5 of substantial construction, the yoke being of generally U- shape and of different vertical height at the two sides of the plate to compensate for the difference in thickness of the tie plate at its respective ends. At the extremities of the U-shaped yoke, I provide shoulders [B that underlie the plate, the body of metal from which the shoulders are formed projecting beneath the plate and being pointed for more easily entering the wood tie. The projections provided in the extremities of the yoke act to enter the tie and serve to firmly anchor the plate and to hold the yoke in proper position. It will be noted that the tie plate is relieved as indicated at I! in order to provide a surf-ace that is parallel to the upper surface of the plate, thus insuring that the yoke will be perpendicular to said upper surface.

The yokes are constructed with their legs slightly flaring, thus necessitating that they be driven or pressed into final position, thus becoming, in effect, a permanent part of the plates, the plates being delivered to the section men in this form. This avoids any confusion as to the proper location of the shorter and longer yokes at the respective ends of the plates.

The fastening devices for the rail consists of three parts; the rail clamp, the heel piece and the locking key.

The heel piece comprises a flat section of metal l8 having an inclined abutment H! at its rear end and a vertical projection 20 having an abrupt abutment 2! for engagement against the shoulder M on the tie plate. The width of the heel piece is substantially that of the space between the legs of the yoke i5. Thus when placed in the position shown in the drawing the heel piece is rigidly held against movement laterally or longitudinally of the plate. On its upper side the heel piece has an inclined abutment 22 and a transverse depression 23 located above the downward projection 28. At its inner end the heel piece has an inclined abutment 2A. The inclination of the abutments 222l should be within the angle of repose relative to a laterally applied force.

The rail clamp 25 has in the construction shown in Fig. 2 a spring nose 26 that overlies the rail base and when applied under tension serves to prevent rail creeping. The lower surface of the clamp has abutments 2l.28 corresponding to the abutments E l-2 and a rib 29 fitting the groove 23. The upper surface 30 of the clamp is slightly inclined outwardly and downwardly.

The spring key 3| has a rounded head 32 containing a recess shaped to fit over the outer end of the heel piece, while on its upper surface it is provided with a square abutment 33 adapted to be engaged by a tool, such as a pinch bar, when the key is to be displaced. The body of the key has a thin resilient portion 34 and a thicker terminal end 35, the lower surface of which is shaped like a sled runner to enable it to readily slide into locking position.

It will be noted that the primary engagement between the upper surface of the key and the yoke is at the outer edge of the yoke, there being a line engagement. When, however, the key is driven home, the upper surface of the key will be in contact with a larger area of the undersurface of the yoke.

To assemble or dismantle parts it is only necessary to place or displace the key when the remaining parts may readily be lifted out; nevertheless the fastening is entirely rigid, both as to lateral and vertical movements of the rail.

Where the gauge of the track is to be adjusted, it is only necessary to substitute rail clamp members having different thickness of the body of 7 In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the parts remain the same except that a rail clamp 36 is shown having a solid rather than a spring nose,

and a plurality of shims 31 are shown in place.

These shims are notched at their ends to receive the clamp and thus be prevented from displacement longitudinally of the rail. The number of shims required will determine the vertical height of the clamp.

It is apparent that the assembly shown will adapt itself to simple repairs and maintenance and a substantial reduction in labor cost. The construction is capable of considerable modification and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In rail fastening means, the combination of a metal rail support, having a recess, a yoke projected upwardly from said support, a heel piece within said yoke and held against lateral movement thereby and having a downward projection adapted to enter said recess, a rail clamp having a portion overlying a rail base and interlocking with said heel piece and held against lateral movement by said yoke, and a resilient key bearing on the rail clamp adapted to be interlocked with said heel piece and held in place by spring resistance against said yoke.

2. In rail fastening means, the combination of a metal rail support having a recess, a U- shaped yoke adapted to be driven into said recess from beneath the support, the lower ends of said yoke projecting beneath said rail support, a heel piece having a projection adapted to enter said recess, a rail clamp interlocking with said heel piece, and a spring key bearing on the rail clamp adapted to be resiliently engaged between said yoke and said heel piece to hold the clamp in position, said clamp and key being held against lateral movement by said yoke.

CHARLES P. KIMIMEL. 

